The time has come. The Cleveland Film Society officially released the line up for the Cleveland International Film Festival. At first glance I was alittle disappointed. Probably because I had high hopes for some films to be listed that are currently running the film festival circuits, like Invisible Waves, Takeshis, and Linda, Linda, Linda.

However, at second glance I really think that it could be a great year. Some films I recognize and really want to see like The Proposition and Factotum. While others sound very interesting after further reading, for example, Quo Vadis, Baby, Midnight, My Love, and Beauty Remains. Two documentaries, Henri Langois:Phantom of the Cinematheque and Midnight Movies: From Margin to the Mainstream sound promising. I am sure I will find others after digging deeper into the descriptions.

A few I have seen already ( like The Bow, a breathtaking film which is nearly ruined by a down right silly ending) and while others I heard are just awful (like Wassup Rockers, the new film by Kids photographer/director Larry Clark). All in all, however, I am really exciting about this year.

Chiaki and I caught Once Upon a Time in the West on the big screen, the other night. Man, was it beautiful. You truly have to see this theatrically, you will be in awe. It made me love the film more than I ever have.

Man, I guess I am slipping. I forgot to mention that we caught The Passenger a few days before that. We loved it. I had been dying to see this Antonioni film and I am so pleased that the Cleveland Cinematheque played it theatrically. Their is an amazing shot at the very end of the film that is to be seen to believe. I had to get online that night just to figure out how the hell he shot it. I am dying to pick this up next month on dvd so I can hear what Jack Nicholson has to say about the film. I read a while ago that this is the film in his career he feels most passionate about and he was responsible for its re-release.